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I just saw the movie, and I have mixed feelings about it. At one hand, it was entertaining, and I did appreciate some technical aspects of it. I actually liked the shaky camera (I also loved Cloverfield). I liked the way District 12 was done in terms of production design. It looked interesting, it was highly stylized. The costumes, the houses, the area where they gather to watch the big screen. Very Orwellian and stimulating. I didn't care so much about the costumes and makeup in the Capitol though. They looked as if a first year student of costume design wanted to create something "outrageous".

On the other hand, the so-called political message was just too shallow and banal. I am sorry if this offends anyone, but the premise is completely unbelievable. I tried, but I just couldn't make myself believe it. I mean, what exactly are the districts afraid of? These games?! Really?! So, there was this insurrection 74 years ago. Even if ended bloody, it was 74 years ago! What's life expectancy in the districts? 40 years max? That means generations have passed since the insurrection. You are telling me that these people suffer and go hunt for squirrels so that they don't starve, but they won't rebel because their grandparents told them about some rebellion generations ago that didn't go that well?! Or because of the games?! So what if there are games? What are they going to do, select 4 kids from each district, instead of two? I mean, come on guys. If there were any realism in this movie, there would have been dozens of uprisings and rebellions in Panem in those 74 years. Yeah, people die in uprisings, and it gets nasty, that's normal. People still do them because they feel desperate. Why is there no terrorism? Katniss aims her arrow at the apple - don't you think that sometime someone would shot it at those people in the loge and shouted "Down with Capitol District. Long live revolution etc..." and what's up with the train? Why doesn't anyone sabotage it, blow up a bridge? Why didn't anyone kill the weird lady when she picked names? There was barely any security. My mom and dad would have climbed that stage and strangled her with bare hands. Yeah, they would be killed, but so what? We are talking about children being taken to the slaughterhouse while their parents just watch?! Why don't they die to protect their kids like any normal parent would?

I just can't bring myself to take any of it seriously. The whole premise is just a big clumsy plot device to justify the existence of the Games, and it totally falls apart.

No to take away from you have said but if revolution and uprising were that easy it would happen far more often then it does in our world, food for thought

And the movie showed the beginnings of an uprising which was quelled pretty quickly but from what we know the more well to do districts usually won the games so the poor areas (the later districts) remained poor and were beaten down even more by not having enough to sustain themselves. You would be amazed about how over time abuse will beat you down into submission.

This is also thinking no rebellions have ever taken place in the 74 years, if they did they were usually put down and nobody outside the district knew it happened. Look at the one in the movie, you think the other 11 districts were told that people rebelled?

It usually takes 1 person others can believe in to start things, MLK Jr was that force in the Civil Rights movement for example.

Its like Donald Sutherland said in the movie, hope is the most dangerous weapon oppressed people can have and Katniss brought them hope.

It might not seem believable but if you look at world events its more believable then you think. In other words the number of "successful" uprisings is far and few in between, but it does not mean they don't happen.

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Your point is interesting Ivan. Having had the benefit of reading the books and knowing what's coming up, I didn't think twice about the world that was created. There isn't a lot of exposition explaining it in the movie, just little hints. I wonder if they'll go more in depth in future films, as the politics of everything becomes VERY critical to everything by the third book.

There's nothing to suggest in the first movie that The Capitol's system is always 100% full proof and that the things you suggest haven't happened, they—apparently—just haven't been successful. And really, the first book is about Katniss stepping up and planting the seed of rebellion, even though that's not really her intention... she's just trying to survive and get back to her family.

As for why someone didn't just kill Effie Trinket or something, I think you saw pretty clearly from the beat down that The Capitol security forces gave District 11 that they can come out in force. I did think the movie sort of shortchanged the security presence though, which felt omnipresent and dangerous in the book. Also, when you look at examples in real life, there isn't always someone who steps up and says something is wrong right away. A lot of people will go along with the most terrible of things out of fear or loss of hope.

No to take away from you have said but if revolution and uprising were that easy it would happen far more often then it does in our world, food for thought

And the movie showed the beginnings of an uprising which was quelled pretty quickly but from what we know the more well to do districts usually won the games so the poor areas (the later districts) remained poor and were beaten down even more by not having enough to sustain themselves. You would be amazed about how over time abuse will beat you down into submission.

It usually takes 1 person others can believe in to start things, MLK Jr was that force in the Civil Rights movement for example.

Its like Donald Sutherland said in the movie, hope is the most dangerous weapon oppressed people can have and Katniss brought them hope.

It might not seem believable but if you look at world events its more believable then you think.

Uprisings do happen often in real world. A quick Wikipedia search shows that there have been 38 major rebellions and uprisings in the 20th century. Those are just big ones that deserve a Wikipedia entry, and it's really just a 5 second search. In the real world, people blow themselves up or hijack planes and die just because they feel that "Americans are stealing their oil". What would happen if they felt someone was stealing their kids and murdering them on live TV?

The little thing you mention is not really a rebellion, it's more of a little skirmish. You can probably see that on a daily basis in some countries.

For all these reasons I'm eager to view BATTLE ROYALE and I'll be pleased to post my feelings about the film afterwards.

Quite welcome my good man! I always enjoy reading how a american based writer breaks down their experiences on other cultures films and books. Something thrilling about it!

My girlfriend just gave me a lecuture and a half about how Hunger Games books are so much more in depth. I respect that, and im sure the books are good for people who can not compare it to something else (she wont watch BR). Im not going to play film critic and slam the movie anymore than I have, Its good for american kids. Somewhere from the 80s to the early 2000's, american filming really went for slick productions, and money grabbing only. Charachter development went to hell and everything became rushed and sloppy. Its a shame... there is really not alot out there now that will stand the test of time and not just be a hip fad.

"We are the tools of our own imagination, constructing temples and cathedrals in which our most outlandish dreams become truth." - Samael

I respect that, and im sure the books are good for people who can not compare it to something else (she wont watch BR).

LOL - well, the books can be good for people who have seen Battle Royale.... and The Running Man... and Lord of the Flies... etc... too. It's just matter of taste, I suppose. I think BR is WAY over-rated. I thought that the first time I saw it too. It's not bad, I just think it took on a sheen of geek-cult-cool by the nature of it being from another country and being something of an underground hit that makes people think it's better than it is. But that's just my opinion.

I'm not a veteran writer or anything , but I've read a lot of books and I've seen a lot of movies and TV. There are few things that feel totally fresh and new to me. I can usually figure out the beats of a story pretty easily and figure out where it's heading. To me, that doesn't make something lesser than though. As Jack alluded to, it's all about how well something transports you. For me, Hunger Games whizzed by as a movie and a book (I think I read the first book pretty much in one sitting) and I got to care about the characters. Even though I knew Katniss would survive in the end, it didn't change my enjoyment of it. I will say, I was VERY surprised at how the whole trilogy ended... but that's a story for another day. Still, I can certainly respect if it didn't do it for someone else.

Originally Posted by Ivan

Uprisings do happen often in real world...
The little thing you mention is not really a rebellion, it's more of a little skirmish. You can probably see that on a daily basis in some countries.

Ivan, you sort of ignored the point that Mark and I both brought up, though, that there's nothing in the movie that suggests people aren't continuing to TRY to rebel (even if we don't see it, other than the District 11 thing) and that in the movie it was shown that resistance IS succinctly crushed when it comes up. The people of the Districts are set in competition against each other. They are isolated from each other. The only thing they all participate in together is the games. The Capitol have divided and conquered them. Little pockets of resistance here and there are almost doomed right now because The Capitol can throw it's full resources. For rebellion to be successful, it'd be helpful if they had one figure to rally behind, and they'd need to strike at the same time...

Anyway, if it didn't work for you, that's cool. I just don't think you're giving enough credit for what is actually there in the movie. And there's certainly more coming up.

I just want to pop in to say that I saw the film last night and really enjoyed it! i have not read the books, but seeing the movie definitely made me want to. I had a great time watching it. Very enjoyable!

I just want to pop in to say that I saw the film last night and really enjoyed it! i have not read the books, but seeing the movie definitely made me want to. I had a great time watching it. Very enjoyable!

I agree! IF I read a book that turns into a movie I usually read the book first. However, this time around the movie has actually made my wife and I want to read the books.

If I am interested in a book and I know a movie is coming up, I actually like to wait to read the book after... just because I know it'll probably be a better/richer experience and flesh out the movie more. That being said, I haven't had a chance to do that too much recently. I did buy Game of Thrones after seeing season 1 though. I just haven't gotten a chance to read it yet.

LOL - well, the books can be good for people who have seen Battle Royale.... and The Running Man... and Lord of the Flies... etc... too. It's just matter of taste, I suppose. I think BR is WAY over-rated. I thought that the first time I saw it too. It's not bad, I just think it took on a sheen of geek-cult-cool by the nature of it being from another country and being something of an underground hit that makes people think it's better than it is. But that's just my opinion.

I'm not a veteran writer or anything , but I've read a lot of books and I've seen a lot of movies and TV. There are few things that feel totally fresh and new to me. I can usually figure out the beats of a story pretty easily and figure out where it's heading. To me, that doesn't make something lesser than though. As Jack alluded to, it's all about how well something transports you. For me, Hunger Games whizzed by as a movie and a book (I think I read the first book pretty much in one sitting) and I got to care about the characters. Even though I knew Katniss would survive in the end, it didn't change my enjoyment of it. I will say, I was VERY surprised at how the whole trilogy ended... but that's a story for another day. Still, I can certainly respect if it didn't do it for someone else.

Ivan, you sort of ignored the point that Mark and I both brought up, though, that there's nothing in the movie that suggests people aren't continuing to TRY to rebel (even if we don't see it, other than the District 11 thing) and that in the movie it was shown that resistance IS succinctly crushed when it comes up. The people of the Districts are set in competition against each other. They are isolated from each other. The only thing they all participate in together is the games. The Capitol have divided and conquered them. Little pockets of resistance here and there are almost doomed right now because The Capitol can throw it's full resources. For rebellion to be successful, it'd be helpful if they had one figure to rally behind, and they'd need to strike at the same time...

Anyway, if it didn't work for you, that's cool. I just don't think you're giving enough credit for what is actually there in the movie. And there's certainly more coming up.

Yeah he totally ignored my point but whatever floats his boat. Again for the record I never said rebellions did not happen, I said "successful" rebellions (in short a full replacement of government brought about by force, at times also a coup) are rare and that is just the truth. The scene with District 11 was supposed to imply that was starting to happen which is one of the reasons Donald Sutherland was wanting Katniss killed because he saw the writing on the wall.

After reading the book I agree JonWes the movie did really shortchange the security forces a lot. It made it seem like it was a group of like 5 people keeping the entire district under control when it was more like the National Guard in each area.

Originally Posted by Pixel Dan

I just want to pop in to say that I saw the film last night and really enjoyed it! i have not read the books, but seeing the movie definitely made me want to. I had a great time watching it. Very enjoyable!

You will enjoy the book more after seeing the movie imho, it fills in a LOT of the small pieces that you assume or logically put together in the film. Even small things like Katniss father and the events surrounding him are made stronger by reading the book after the movie.

I try not to read the books if I know a movie is coming out because 99% of the time the movie is always shortchanged due to running time and audience appeal. Lord of the Rings I think was the only books that I have ever seen recreated with such immense faith. Even the Harry Potter series is a let down when comparing books to movies, especially the Half Blood Prince where the movie changed the tone and feeling of the entire big ending.

Last edited by markatisu; March 26, 2012 at 12:06pm.
Reason: Automerged Doublepost

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I didn't really know anything about it last night when I went to see it with some friends. I don't get it though, it seemed really bland and boring. None of the characters had any charisma or likability. My main question is about when the girl ran up the tree and they were trying to shoot her down and decided to just wait her out. They built a camp fire and camped out. Why didn't they just set the tree on fire?

Also those bees would of stung the heck out of her before she had that limb cut off.

I saw the movie Friday, it was enjoyable. As close to the book as it needed to be, and whatever wasn't told was implied well enough to understand if you didn't read the book. I understand that Susan Collins and the writters will be re-writing part of book three for the movie; I couldn't be happier to hear that seeing as I had to push myself to finish Mocking Jay, which is saying something because I've known to toss books if I find them displeasing.

Ivan, you sort of ignored the point that Mark and I both brought up, though, that there's nothing in the movie that suggests people aren't continuing to TRY to rebel (even if we don't see it, other than the District 11 thing) and that in the movie it was shown that resistance IS succinctly crushed when it comes up. The people of the Districts are set in competition against each other. They are isolated from each other. The only thing they all participate in together is the games. The Capitol have divided and conquered them. Little pockets of resistance here and there are almost doomed right now because The Capitol can throw it's full resources. For rebellion to be successful, it'd be helpful if they had one figure to rally behind, and they'd need to strike at the same time...

Anyway, if it didn't work for you, that's cool. I just don't think you're giving enough credit for what is actually there in the movie. And there's certainly more coming up.

Sorry guys, I don't usually write long posts, it seemed like my posts were too long as it is. Maybe I'm just expecting too much in-depth politics from a franchise aimed at young adults. Yes, they do have a little bit of resistance, but I think there should have been more of it. You say that people are trying to rebel, we just don't see it - how do you know it then? Maybe it's in the books, but we are not discussing the books here. Movie should stand on it's own, and it should tell a story by itself. You shouldn't have to talk to fans to find out the things that the movie should have told you. I am sorry, but the skirmish in District 11 is the only resistance that we know of. There is nothing else there. Maybe I missed something, but I really can't remember any other resistance. Riots in District 11 happened after a brutal killing of a very likeable little girl. With such a powerful trigger, we can assume that what we've seen is pretty much the strongest resistance there ever was. I mean, if that little skirmish is all they do after that kid was so brutally butchered and they are "super-angry" and "out of control", than what can we really expect on an ordinary day, when there is no direct provocation. I can understand that that particular little uprising was crushed, but this has been going on for 74 years. In all that time, they couldn't have staged a single successful rebellion?

And what's with dressing up for the reaping? Yes, there is probably some law that says they have to be presentable, but people seem to go way beyond that. Let's take a moment to analyze that: there are two girls in the household, and their mom prepares dresses which appear new and way too expensive for them. Remember, these people eat squirrels. They eat bread that was tossed to them and fell in the mud! That's how poor they are! Now, how much did those dresses cost? Probably half of their annual household income. Even if the woman made them herself (I don't remember if that was the case) still, how did she pay for the fabric - it looks nice and new, it doesn't look like she just took some old rags. They looked well sewn - does she have a sewing machine?? That would be what... 10 times their annual income? I could understand her doing it for her daughter's wedding, but for the reaping!? They may be too afraid and/or apathetic to rebel, but they seem to bend over backwards to cooperate in their own oppression.

You say that the districts can't communicate because they are divided. By what? That poorly guarded, supposedly electrified fence that Katniss so casually crawls through? And then meets her romantic interest, who does the same. And then we realize that they pretty much cross district borders every day! But, they can't send couriers through that same fence? If that were the attitude of European peoples during WW2, I'd be writing this in German now.

Again, I don't know what happens in the books, and I don't know what will happen in sequels. Maybe there is something happening that we don't know yet. Here are some suggestions, that IMO would make the premise more believable:

1. Split the first book
The first movie should probably have been split in two, and just set the stage for what's coming. There is obviously more stuff here than can fit in one movie. They should have just introduced us to the world of Panem, explained the whole political situation better, played more with the love triangle... I would end the first movie just before the reaping. That way the actual games would be a dark, horrifying, impending terror that everyone talks about but we don't really see it. Kinda like the shark in Jaws. We see them living in this dystopian world, there is something dark coming, they are afraid. We see the terrors of extreme dictatorship in more detail. Maybe we see a little bit of other districts too. For drama, we can see occasional uprisings. Some people get hurt. Maybe one of Katnisses hunting trips goes wrong and the police is chasing her in the forest - a small teaser of the Games coming in the next movie. And of course, the love triangle.

2. Have classes and inequality
OK, so eating squirrels is a little over the top. Maybe they can be poor, but not that poor. And there should definitely be classes within districts. Right now, everyone in D12 seems pretty much equal in their poverty. That's just bad dictatorship. You are practically inviting rebellion. Give better houses to cops. Take their kids out of the lottery. (And let us see that in the movie ) Who manages that mining operation? Well, they get a better house too. And their kids get to go to college in the Capitol. Anyone knows about insurgents? Report them and you or your kids get a free pass that year. And you get better food. Divide the people - that makes them easier to control, and it also gives them options. They feel like they are not so desperate any more. There is a way to avoid poverty and death, if you are just willing to stoop low enough.

Have external enemies
This is essential to any dictatorship. Panem needs to be in constant war or at least there needs to be constant threat of a war. That's what makes people band together even if they are not happy. Life may be hard, but it's better then being obliterated in a nuclear war...

I know that this would probably deviate from the books, but whatever - I'd change the books too!

I saw the movie this past weekend and enjoyed it. It's about as good an adaption of a book as you can get. For those clamoring for more back story, there really isn't a lot more back story. Certainly not enough to split the first book into two movies. I thought it was a good choice to jump straight ahead to the reaping.

I read the books and will say this. I was sort of ho hum about them as I read them. They are written in a way that makes you read them obsessively until you finish them, but I never really found myself liking Katniss or feeling strong attachments to the characters. That changed as I read the end of the last book. I had a much stronger reaction to the end of the series than thought I would.

Thought this was an interesting writeup of Battle Royale vs Hunger Games, can't link to the article because the feedback that might not be appropriate

Before There Was The Hunger Games, Japan Had This Brutal, Bloody Opus
By Brian Ashcraft

Were you one of the oodles of theatergoers who packed into American cinemas to see The Hunger Games? The movie is raking in the box office cash—and it's being hailed as a smash hit. But in Japan, people are referring to the flick as something else: "Hollywood's version of Battle Royale."

Based on a 1999 novel, the 2000 film Battle Royale featured school kids who were forced to enter a deadly game in which they had to kill each other.

Based a 2008 novel, the 2012 film The Hunger Games featured school kids who were forced to enter a deadly game in which they had to kill each other. The Hunger Games' writer, Suzanne Collins, said that the book was based on the Greek myth of Theseus and Minotaur. Online, there are those who are calling The Hunger Games a direct Battle Royale rip-off. Others disagree.

Since I have not seen The Hunger Games nor have I read the book, I'm not in any position to say if it's a knock-off or not. If it is, who cares?

Battle Royale was not created in a vacuum; it has elements of Lord of the Flies, but in a very contemporary way that reflects Japanese society. During the 1990s, violence in Japanese schools swirled in the Japanese media. Brutal schoolyard killings in Kobe dominated the news. This generation of kids seemed rotten to the core.

The movie is unflinching and brutal. No wonder no American distributor would even venture near the film for years after its release—especially with real-life school killings dotting the front pages of American newspapers. A shame because Battle Royale isn't only one of the best Japanese films of the past decade, but it's one of the best Japanese films ever made. No wonder Quentin Tarantino admires this film so.

While some in the West call Battle Royale a cult movie, in its native Japan, it was a mainstream flick by a well respected director. And it was incredibly controversial in Japan upon its release.

Kinji Fukasaku directed Battle Royale when he was in his late 60s. The film seemed to come out of nowhere, as only a few years earlier he was enjoying career retrospectives at the American Cinematique in summer 1997, putting around from meet-and-greets and talking about his horrific experiences disposing of dead bodies as a teen during World War II. In 1997, it seemed like Fukasaku's best work—such as the iconic Battles Without Honor and Humanity—was well behind him. He was the elder statesman for Japanese cinema.

While he was in Los Angeles well over a decade ago, I had dinner with Fukasaku. The book Battle Royale wasn't yet published, and most of my questions to him were about how he did certain shots in his yakuza movies from the 1970s. He was less interested in talking cinema, and seemed like he was keener to chat about sumo as he sat in the New Otani hotel in Los Angeles and sip his drink behind dark sunglasses. Did he even care about cinema anymore, I wondered.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the notoriously hardnosed director still had enough **** and vinegar to pull off something like Battle Royale. When I saw the film in 2001, I was floored—I could not believe that Fukasaku, who passed away in 2003, still had something like this in him. Most filmmakers lose their edge in their twilight years. Fukasaku retained it—and with a vengeance. The movie is a tough old man's scathing criticism of good-for-nothing youth and overly cute youth culture.

Collins is apparently drawing from mythos for a young adult readership. That's not what Battle Royale, both the novel and the film, were about. Using the book as a jumping off point, Fukasaku was drawing from real life, especially his own. To compare The Hunger Games to Battle Royale is actually to do a disservice to Battle Royale.

There's no training in Battle Royale. The kids just start killing each other—or be killed. The only thing they have are their wits. During World War II, a young Fukasaku saw cruelty and brutality first hand and grew up fast. His film is a reflection of that—and not clever some reworking of Greek myth. He's one of the greatest artists Japan produced during the last century as the country rose from the ashes during the Post War years. It's no accident that when producers needed a filmmaker to replace Akira Kurosawa on Tora! Tora! Tora!, they turned to Fukasaku.

The film Battle Royale was not only a period mark for a legendary filmmaker, it was an exclamation point. While Battle Royale is finally coming out this month in the U.S. on DVD, it is a shame Fukasaku never saw a proper U.S. release for his masterpiece—or The Hunger Games, for that matter.

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I will see it, somtimes you guys talk so much about something my curiousity overwhelms my personal interests.
To be fair I have nothing AGAINST this movie (aside from the trailers making it look cheap and 'Canadian' film quality wise - think Original Degrassi ) the premise just doesn't really speak to me, that's where the zero personal interest stems from.

On a side note, is it just me or does Jennifer Lawrence look like a young Juliette Lewis??

I had no idea what this even was when I first heard about it (I thought it was some sort of video game Neca had gotten the license too). I hadn't realized it was something of the heir apparent to Potter. On the count that it's apparently a very popular series of books that the young 'uns are actually very much into, I'm thrilled. I heard of kids waiting in lines all night when the newest Potter book was coming out, and it sounds like the reactions to this series is at least similar. Anything that gets a kid or teen's nose in a book is something that warms my educator's heart, so more power to the author here.

THat said, I've obviously not read the books or seen the movie, and, honestly, I haven't yet seen anything that pushes me to do so. Then again, I've yet to see anything beyond the second Potter film, either (and haven't read the books), so I guess I'm just not in tune with what's appealing to young folks these days...

"I will use this power for all the good that can be done, to work for peace, to encourage virtue, and above all, to preserve life in all its forms..." Superman

I just want to pop in to say that I saw the film last night and really enjoyed it! i have not read the books, but seeing the movie definitely made me want to. I had a great time watching it. Very enjoyable!

I don't know what is really is I have against HG. Like John Carter, I never heard of it until last year, and all I can think to myself is, "Do we really need another teen series plaguing our screens?" And then when I finally found out what it was about, my jaw just dropped. Then I thought it might be good, until I read it has romance in it. Can there juts be one freaking movie without ANY romance in it? A lot of times romance plots feel forced and I have been told this one is majorly forced. Then there is the fact that the camera is supposed to be extremely shaky, and you know what, I am sick of shaky cam action scenes. I had no problem with it in the Bourne movies. I did not mind it in Batman Begins or the first Transformers, but the more it gets used, the more I am tired of it. Just like how Bullet Time was awesome for the first 50 movies, then it juts got tiresome. With High Def, action scenes should be able to be scene in full beauty, not have it flocked around by nonsense "because it makes the battle look chaotic."

Can someone PM me the US number for Matty? I want to talk to someone who might has a clue of what is going on.

Saw it yesterday, very good film. I've seen both Battle Royale & The Running Man and at no point did it remind me of those. Anyone who hasn't seen it and thinks it's a rip off of those movies should really try watching it with an open mind.

Originally Posted by markatisu

Yeah I really think the costuming and art direction basically hid her beauty, not to mention she is one of the rare people I think looks better as a blond then brunette